*Hey guys! :D Great to see you~ I've been playing Pokemon Blaze Black and I'm trying to fill up my National Dex! :D (because it's a hack where all 649 are obtainable.) Unfortunately, Mudkip, who has a 5% encounter rate in the shaking grass, has eluded me for over five hours. WAI MUDKIP, WAI?! (even though I ran into two Squirtles, five Totodiles, and four Piplups, all of whom have the same encounter rate. . LIFE HATES ME.) But on a more positive note (that doesn't involve me screaming bloody murder at my DS), here's the chapter! :D*

Chapter 10

"Light! I finally see light!" cheered Pearl, his voice so loud it seemed to reverberate throughout the cave. "See that, Dia, Platina, Jade? We're almost out!"

"I'm not blind," Platina pointed out, holding onto his shoulders tightly as the Salamence veered to the side to avoid a tall stalagmite. "Though it is very good to see!"

"It means food is near!" announced Dia, who was so hungry that his brain could process nothing but the thought of his next meal. "I'm starving! Finally!"

Meanwhile, Jade stayed silent, glad that it would only be another two days at most he'd have to deal with the annoying trio. Their boundless friendliness and at times, stupidity, was driving him crazy, and he was eager to be rid of them once and for all, Technically, he could eliminate them now, but he wasn't in a rush, and it would be much more helpful to be led to Spear Pillar than having to find it. The three orbs rattled in his pocket as they brushed against each other, and he closed his eyes to envision using the orbs to summon the legendaries...

Which made him think of the annoying, lying brat, Platina who had obviously been lying when translating the messages on the wall. And the most irritating part was that she knew he could tell, that she knew her lies were seen through and that he could do nothing about it. Without the knowledge, he was helpless, absolutely helpless. Sure he could probably guess his way through it, but if he made an irreversible mistake, his plans would never be fulfilled. He would never see Amethyst again after imagining their reunion so many times it was almost painful.

It had become as much about Amethyst as it was about his revenge on Ruby and the other Dex Holders who had thwarted him. After she had died, he'd convinced himself he could live without her, live without his sole companion, and he had, but not without an aching loneliness. He'd been able to shove the feeling away with chasing so strongly after his- no their- ambitions, taking joy in the pain and destruction, becoming so absorbed in battle and victory that he could forget about her. But after learning that he could revive her from the realms of hell (because she very obviously had not been on the path to the pearly gates), her face had never left his mind.

"Can your Salamence break through the wall?" asked Pearl as the source of the light became more apparent- it was merely cracks and small holes too small for even a Zubat to fly through.

Jade looked closely- he hadn't really wanted to show his Salamence, but figured that they didn't realize who he was and no harm would be don by it. But to show the extent of his Salamence's power would be a whole other thing entirely. In a way, he wanted to demonstrate the difference between him and even a Dex Holder by showing the annoying blond boy what a real Fire Blast looked like, but that would be overdoing it. That would lead to suspicion- after all, not many trainers held his ability, ability that surpassed champions and Dex Holders.

"If we find a vulnerable spot," he lied, knowing that a Fire Blast would rip through even the thickest sections of rock like an arrow through a sheet of paper. "Hopefully we'll find a way out."

"I think there's a bigger hole near the end of the river," offered Dia, eyes examining where the water seemed to disappear into a beam of light. "That's probably our best shot. If Pearl and Platina use their water Pokemon, they could help break it too. Or... I know! Gi can probably handle it just fine! He can fit in this space, right?"

Platina looked up and down, mentally measuring the space in her head. Jade's Salamence fit quite comfortably, but Dia's Regigigas was the size of Palkia and Dialga, the size of a god. It would probably be a squeeze, but if there was no other way out, then it would have to do. "He should fit as long Jade moves his Salamence back into the smaller tunnels."

Jade listened to this mystified. What Polemon did this boy have? His research hadn't been too detailed on their Pokemon. After all, he guessed their battling ability was probably inferior to that of their seniors, especially after seeing how quickly they had tired in the caverns. Ruby's Pokemon alone had lasted for hours in never ending battle, and Sapphire's Tropius had flew all the way from Hoenn and fought its way through a nearly impenetrable storm. Did Diamond possess a Pokemon that could pose a threat? If he did, it was necessary to find out.

"Salamence, back away," he commanded, and the turquoise dragon obeyed, turning around back into the shrouds of darkness. "What Pokemon are you talking about?"

"He's a big one. A legendary!" explained Dia, taking out the Pokeball. "You're a researcher, so maybe you've seen him somewhere before!"

There was a flash of red light as Dia released his Regigigas out into the caves, and the legendary landed in the waters below, the tremendous splash reaching them even though they were almost twenty feet above the water. But was more tremendous was the monstrous size of the legendary, which dwarfed even Jade's Salamence. It towered above them, almost hitting the tall ceiling of the wide cavern and its eyes (were they eyes?) glowed eerily in the shadows. It commanded a feeling of utmost power that sent even a chill through Jade's spine. Of course, so had Groudon and Kyogre at first sight, and they had been so easily quelled and caught...

If I have to attack these three, I'm taking down this thing first, he though, mentally taking the note to himself. Actually... Since they're not looking...

He hid his hand into his dark black cloak so they could not see the light as his Gengar was released, quickly blending into the darkness behind them, red eyes fading before anyone had a chance to see them. Chances were that this Pokemon wasn't used very often at all, and if his Gengar could break the Pokeball after it was returned, it'd pose no threat at all. He sent the instructions to his Gengar silently, knowing the ghost could read his mind. That, however, was the one skill he wished it knew better. It would only work when the victim's mind was weak or willing to accept it and Platina's strong resistence had refused to be shattered as she read the ancient runes.

""Gi, make a small hole for us," ordered Dia to his Pokemon. "Try to not make it too big- just big enough for Jade-san's Salamence to go through."

The Regigigas was still for a few moments, and when it began moving, it was slow and stiff, as if it had been hit by several Icy Winds. Pearl caught sight of Jade's skeptical expression and explained.

"Dia's Regigigas is a Slow Starter. Slow Start's an ability that halves its Attack and Speed for the first few minutes it's in battle," said Pearl, quoting from the time Platina had done research to explain the why the Pokemon was so cumbersome. "It's a troublesome ability, but it's still very powerfully! Watch this Focus Punch!"

"How do you know it's a Focus Punch," asked Jade, who could tell the Regigigas was drawing back its fist for a punch, but not what type. Fire, Ice, Thunder, Dizzy, Focus- how could one tell the difference before it was executed? "Your friend hasn't said anything yet."

"Pearl can tell what move any Pokemon is going to use from its stance alone," said Platina loftily, feeling contempt as her friends' hidden powers intimidated Jade. "There's no move that'll surprise him."

"I'm not that good..." trailed off Pearl modestly, though he was beaming with pride. "Unovan moves still trip me up."

And then the wall shattered before them. Well, not entirely, but there was now a distinctly fist-shaped hole in the stone, and the crumble of rocks could be heard as the debris scattered on either side. As they flew over it, Jade measured the width of the section destroyed- a good five or six feet had been blown away by the punch. And if this was its weakened power... Well wasn't he glad he didn't have to be worried about it.

"Return!" called Dia. As soon as Gi was back in its Pokeball and placed into Dia's backpack, Rei signaled to his Gengar, and he knew the deed was done without even checking. It shouldn't have been a problem.

Quietly, he clicked the button on his Pokeball and the Gengar was back in his pocket without the trio having suspected a thing. He looked ahead to outside, where the sun shone brightly over a thick blanket of fog below them. Beneath the fog, he could see a lake, with a waterfall of the river water cascading through a small opening in the rock face. Behind them Mt. Coronet loomed, and Jade knew that soon the Spear Pillar of the mountain would grant him everything. His queen, the world, his revenge. But before that happened...

"I see Cafe Cabin!" cheered Dia, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Full speed ahead!"

"Yeah, full speed!" echoed Pearl, suddenly standing up, almost pulling Platina up with him. "I can taste that milkshake already!"

"The first segment of the contest is only three minutes away! Contestants, get ready! Remember, you may help each other for this round if you wish, but you are not allowed to purposely sabotage another contestant!"

The instructions blared over the participants and the eager watchers, keeping a constant countdown since everyone had gathered in front of the contest hall (the contest hall itself was too small to hold so many contestants at the same time.). Ruby was looking through the general accessory box he'd been given, going through a quick rundown of what each item could be used for. They were nothing special, nothing like the exquisite, expensive accessories he had once used for Master Ranks, but they were enough.

"How should I dress up Ruru again?" asked Sapphire, looking as excited as she would for a battle. But of course, since that was what she was after, it wasn't terribly surprising. "I'm not sure how ta use any of these items."

"It shouldn't be too hard," he said, trying to think of different ways to use the accessories on Mimi so they properly accentuated her beauty. "I'll try and do most of it. Ruru should be able to make it to the next round on condition alone, though, really."

"One minute until start!" said the announcer as loudly as he could. "Contestants, make sure you're completely prepared! Every second counts!"

"Hand me your box, Sapph," ordered Ruby, holding out his hand for it. "That way, I can sort it real fast and you can try to do some of it yourself."

"Okay." She handed it over to him, looking eager to begin the contest. After all, at the end lay a battle! "Whaddaya think da theme is?"

"Judging from the general assortment of the accessories in the boxes, they lean towards 'Natural'," he said, lifting out a few feathers and a crystal that looked like a frozen dew drop. "See? There's mushrooms and fluff too. It should be an easy enough theme."

"Whaddaya mean?" she asked curiously.

"Well, that's what you're good at, isn't it?" he teased, referencing her 'cave girl' suit. "Though, there aren't any grass skirts and tops in the case."

Before Sapphire could begin an embarrassed reply, the loudspeakers blared, "Contest start! The theme is 'Natural!' I repeat, the theme is 'Natural!' You have five minutes!"

With a nod to Sapphire, Ruby tossed her the box and speedily went to work on Mimi, completely lost in the process. His eyes were focused solely on Mimi, and his experienced hands were easily and confidentially putting on the accessories without any hesitation. He still smiled though, looking like an excited little kid as he kept stepping back to view his work. Sapphire laughed, so entranced with Ruby that she had already forgotten about Rury beside her.

He turned at the sound of her laugh, shouting, "Sapph, Ruru can't put those accessories on herself! Get started!"

That snapped her out of her reverie, and she snatched up a few items at random, looking them over before placing them carefully onto Ruru, putting a few feathers into the thick green hair-like strands on her head and placing a flower next to them. She backed up like she had seen Ruby do earlier, trying to figure out if her attempt at dress-up was okay. After a second of inspection, she realized she had no idea what it was even supposed to look like.

"Nice," commented Ruby, who had finished Mimi's makeover in less than a minute, just like in a real contest. He had walked over to her, their shoulders brushing as he examined the psychic type with her. "But see how the red feather is slightly off angle? You need to shift it here, and you need to add more accessories as well. How about this Dew Drop?"

Sapphire took the item from Ruby and tried to imagine where it would look the best, unable to decide. After a few moments of hesitation, Sapphire placed it next to Ruru's right eye so they looked gleamed like jewels. Looking back, she saw Ruby give a reassuring nod of his head, and she quickly walked back to him for a final inspection.

"One minute to go! Hustle everyone!" cried the announcer as Ruby began a quick critique of Saphire's work.

"The yellow feathers should be changed for red ones. Red matches Ruru's eyes and brings focus to them, which means more focus on her intelligence," he said, making the changes as he went. "Also, her body looks a little plain. Glitter powder never hurts! And I think this Mystic Fire would look brilliant here as well-"

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," commented Sapphire, laughing as he looked at her in slight confusion. "Looks like you still love contests after all!"

"Yeah..." He smiled back, and in that moment, Sapphire could tell there was no anger in him, no fear, no hatred, and that there was nothing in the world he'd rather be doing. Ruby's true self was starting to break free again. "You're right. Just being here is energizing enough, and with you next to me..." He gave her a swift kiss. "Promise we'll both make it to the battles, Sapph!"

"I promise!" she said, knowing that for the next two rounds, she would have to count on herself. She'd watched Ruby dance and perform enough times to get the gist, but she hoped she knew enough to actually do them.

"Time's up! Judges, please go assess the Pokemon! Anyone found making further changes to their Pokemon will be immediately disqualified! It should only take a few minutes for our judges to choose the top forty contestants," said the announcer as the judges came out with clipboards and pens.

"I see your skill hasn't faded in the least, Ruby," said Wallace as he walked over, jotting quick notes on his clipboard as he analyzed Mimi. "Neither has Mimi's beauty."

"Thanks!" said Ruby as Mimi gave a smile, tilting her head slightly as she did so.

"Did you lend Sapphire Ruru?" asked Wallace, looking surprised as he turned to face one of Ruby's other Pokemon. "Well, I'm sure the both of you have passed- good luck in the next round!"

"Yes!" cheered Sapphire loudly, baring a fanged grin. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy as she hugged Ruby. "We made it!"

"Was it even a question?" inquired Ruby, sounding exasperated and extremely arrogant. "You couldn't have expected us to not advance with my beautiful Pokemon!"

"Can ya teach me how to dance real quick? And how to what's it called-"

"Appeal?" supplied Ruby helpfully.

"Yeah, that's it," she confirmed, nodding seriously. "I dunno how ta do either!"

"I've noticed," he laughed, causing Sapphire to stomp him lightly on the foot. "Ow! Okay, okay, I'll do it."

Almost sneakily, he walked in front of her, wrapping his fingers around her wrists and humming a waltz. With nod of his head, Ruru was next to them, ready to begin the dance.

"It's very easy, Sapph," he started, humming the waltz louder so Ruru could hear it over the din of the crowd. "Just copy what Ruru does- I'll help you with the arm movements- you just need to move your feet like I do."

How am I supposed to see you and Ruru...? was Sapphire's mental question, but she refrained from asking as Ruby started to help her sway from side to side, her arms as graceful as willow branches, feet as nimble as a Linoone's. She could the Psychic-type behind him, doing the exact same thing she was doing, like Synchronization.

And then Ruby let go, walking to side, still humming the catchy little tune. It was then that Sapphire realized that she and the Gardevoir were synchronized in their movements, like mirrors, and she laughed. What a way to use a Pokemon's ability- she started dancing confidently, humming the melody along with Ruby, hoping that with this new skill, she'd get one step closer to battling.

"You look pretty good," Ruby commented, analyzing her choreography. "Put some more variety in there- Ruru can help you a little bit, but be creative. Jump, rush forwards, dart from side to side," he suggested. "That's it!"

"This is kinda fun!" said Sapphire, twirling around in a circle and admiring the Mystic Fire whirl around Ruru in a shimmer of blue flame as the Pokemon copied her. "Though, you must look so weird doing this."

"On the contrary- I look fantastic doing this," he scoffed, eyes bright and teasing. "I'm a better dancer than you in any case, Sapph! Mimi and I are simply beautiful together."

"This is what you need ta be like all the time," said Sapphire all of a sudden, causing Ruby to look at her in surprise. "Happy, carefree, arrogant... Exactly how we were. Like this. Don't you like it?"

"Yeah, I do," he admitted, and there was no doubt in his expression, only conviction. "I guess Rei didn't take everything away from me after all, Sapph. And I will never let him again."

"That's da spirit!" she cheered just as the list of contestants advancing to the next round were announced. She tilted her head towards the speaker, sharp ears waiting for their names.

"- Ruby, Sapphire," rolled the MC, continuing to name about fifteen more names before he was finished. "Congratulations to those who succeeded! Would those contestants please enter the contest hall? The dancing competition will begin right away!"

"Ready?" teased Ruby, smiling, not even showing a hint that just moments ago, they'd been talking about Rei. "Don't trip over everyone, barbarian!"

"Are ya kiddin' me, prissy boy? I'm gonna get ta da next round for sure!" she announced, pumping her fist into the air as Ruby did the same. "We're both gonna!"

*Contests are so uplifting to write... =w= They're just... a nice break from everything else. XD Just... so... repetitive. I swear, I feel like I keep using the same adjectives over and over and everything feels the same. . (for describing the dances. XD) I need to get to work on homework now... =w= After review replies.

ZXCVBNMEM: Maybe... =w= I'm taking a break from White 2 though... Blaze Black is proving to be entertaining. XD Sapphire's first try was in this chapter~

wolfeclipse25: Who knows? :3

blazelight790: Poor Sinnoh Trio. XD Having no idea what lies ahead for them~ Emerald and Crys are interesting. :3 If you're going to point to a brother-sister relationship in PokeSpe, point to them, because Chosenshipping. XD Yup~ Sapphire would do anything for Ruby. :3 And she probably got more into beautifying Pokemon just by being within a fifty-foot radius of him. =w=

YellowSaphFan69: :D No problem! I'm glad you liked it~ XD Thanks!

Light-Sakura: Meh, battles are okay for me. I play the game waaaaaaaay too much and know a good portion of the moves Pokemon can use now and what all of them do. =w= (I actually do know close to 99% of the moves for type, power, and effect. XD) So I never run out of stuff to write for in battles~ Contests on the other hand... . I was good at them once, with my awesome Rhydon, but not anymore. XD (since they're not in Gen V) I might use her. :3

Kimiko Heroux: Good to see you back! :D Sapphire's going to need a lot of help... XD Contests are hard~ (Ruby just makes everything look easy. X3) They might end up doing so... XD You'll find out when they get there. Thank you!

POKESPE-FAN: Yup! :D Ruby's Pokemon finally get to shine on the stage once more~ (though, they're pretty darn fun to write in battles, just saying.) No, Rei didn't... entirely... he's lied enough to know when someone else is lying. XD Thank you!

Mimishee Lee: Hopefully, it'll be the push we need to get him back to regular Ruby. :3 (though, I still love dark!Ruby *is shot*) Backup. :3 Yeah, he probably does... ;D

SniperGYS: Gold would argue with anyone. XD Of course, Crys is like Emerald's role model. =w= And older sister. Hopefully the contests will come out as well as the battles. XD Yeah, a dancing Tropius would be entertaining to watch. X) But Ruru will be more beautiful~

See you all next week! :D Hopefully I'll finish my essay in time~

EDIT: FUDGE! My computer just managed to delete a few weeks worth of writiwhen'd I just realized it. OTL Huge apologies to Light-Sakura, who I owe a MangaQuest one-shot,because half of it just got deleted. I'll try my best to recover it, but as a notice to everyone, there may be a one week delay in the next month.*